Commentary
Balikatan War Games: A Bane to Moro, Lumad
Culture
Having U.S. troops in a
country, which claims to be sovereign is anomalous. Lumad and Moro women
are against the holding of Balikatan exercises in Davao and believe that
the presence of U.S. troops is a threat to the peace that all Dabawenyas
aspire for.
By Arve Bañez
Bulatlat
DAVAO CITY - Last Sept. 30, 2004 during an activity of the Mindanao
Interfaith People's Conference (MIPC) I had an opportunity to talk to a
Lumad organizer and a Moro woman leader. Over dinner our talk centered on
how the planned U.S.-Philippine Balikatan war exercises would affect their
communities.
The Sabukahan Tomo Kamalintan (Sabukahan or Unity of Women), a Lumad
women's organization believes the Balikatan exercises as culturally
alienating. The Lumad women’s limited exposure to lowland culture has
marginalized them from the mainstream of society. Exposing them to
gun-toting foreigners may even come as a culture shock.
As Lumad women they
do not see how they could benefit from the presence of the U.S. troops in
Davao. In fact, the military exercises would instill fear among the Lumad
women and their children. Lumad women fear for their lives especially for
the safety of their men and children.
Lumad women worry that the Balikatan exercises would be conducted in their
ancestral domain. They see the conduct of the war games as a desecration
of their ancestral lands which they believe are the abode of
spirits and their ancestors. The sanctity of land is integral to their
existence; they gather food and other materials in the rainforest to
sustain their lives.
Members of the Kababaihan na Moro na Islam sa Davao na Nagkakaisa Para sa
Sariling Pagpasya at Demokrasya (Kahadija), a Moro women's organization,
said they are also against the Balikatan exercises because as a people
Moros have consistently opposed foreign colonization in the Philippines.
Historically, the Moro people resisted foreign domination and continue to
do so with their assertion for their right to self-determination.
A Kahadija leader explained that when the Americans came to colonize
Mindanao they launched bloody
massacres and raped many Moro women. The massacres include the Bud Bagsak
and Bud Dajo massacres in Jolo.
Since the bombing of
the World trade Center in the United States, Muslims all over the world
have been indiscriminately tagged as "terrorists". The Balikatan exercises
could become another pretext for the Americans to wage their war against
“terrorism” among the Moro community here in Davao.
Moros have had long drawn-out battles with government troops as a result
of the all-out war policies of the Estrada and Arroyo administrations.
Moro women have suffered a lot of psychological trauma when they lost
their husbands and children; when they were displaced from their homes;
when they were driven out of their lands in favor of foreign multinational
corporations.
Massive deployments of local military troops in Lumad and Moro communities
have transformed these peaceful places into war-torn areas. Barely have
they grappled with this reality when another violent exercise –
Philippine-U.S. war games will take place.
Having foreign troops
in a country, which claims to be sovereign, is anomalous. Lumad and Moro
women are against the holding of Balikatan exercises in Davao. They are
one in the belief that the presence of U.S. troops in Davao is a threat to
the peace that all Dabawenyas aspire for. Bulatlat
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